Wylie alumnus kicker Spencer Gilbert made a 44-yard field goal as time expired to lift the Pirates to a 27-24 win over Naaman Forest. Photo by Oladipo Awowale / C&S Media
By David Wolman
Whether on a football field, cross country course, volleyball or basketball court, wrestling mat, tennis court, golf course or baseball or softball fields, the Wylie High School athletes made their mark during the 2024-25 school year.
The Wylie News is proud to introduce the second installment in a three-part series celebrating the top athletic moments, student-athletes, teams and performances from the past year. Categories for the inaugural C&S Media High School sports awards were selected by sports editor David Wolman, with winners published over three weeks.
Part 1 (July 10) includes the Biggest Story, Breakthrough Moment, Newcomer of the Year and Best Team.
Part 2 (July 17) will feature Best Game, Best Finish, Biggest Upset and Multi-Sport Athlete of the Year.
Part 3 (July 24) will wrap up the series with Coach of the Year, Most Improved Athlete, Best Female Athlete and Best Male Athlete.
Here are the winners of the second installment of awards – best game, best finish, biggest upset and multi-sport athlete of the year.
Best game: Wylie vs. Wylie East, boys basketball (Feb. 4, 2025)
The Crosstown Showdown brings out the best in the Pirates and Raiders.
This year was no different.
Both games needed overtime and were decided by a total of seven points.
The Pirates used a late fourth-quarter rally to defeat the Raiders 49-45 in their first matchup of the season. In the rematch, Wylie went a perfect 4 of 4 at the free-throw line in overtime and a potential, game-tying 3-pointer by Wylie East alumnus Parker Overstreet fell off the mark as time expired as the Pirates hung on for a 59-56 victory.
Free throws proved to be the difference. Wylie went 19 of 21 at the charity stripe, while Wylie East went 9 of 13.
Isaiah Shurn (18 points) and Noah Mallory (16) paced Wylie’s offense.
Best finish: Wylie vs. Naaman Forest, football (Oct. 4, 2024)
Wylie appeared to be in cruise control.
The Pirates regrouped after giving up an early touchdown to the Rangers, taking a commanding 24-7 lead with 8:11 remaining in the third quarter following an 11-yard touchdown run by rising junior running back Daylon Gordon.
Naaman Forest, though, proceeded to answer Wylie’s 17-0 scoring blitz with one of their own.
The Rangers tied the score at 24-24 after Edgar Andrade made a 26-yard field goal with 22 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter. However, the Pirates were quick to respond. Gordon returned the ensuing kickoff 30 yards, setting up Wylie with good starting field position. Alumnus quarterback Jagger Bale made two sideline throws to move the Pirates into field goal position.
Alumnus kicker Spencer Gilbert missed his first attempt of a field goal from 44 yards with no time remaining. However, he was awarded a second attempt after offsetting penalties allowed the Pirates to replay the down. Gilbert was good on his second try from that same distance, lifting Wylie to a thrilling 27-24 triumph from Garland ISD’s Williams Stadium.
Biggest upset: Wylie vs. Sachse, baseball (March 11, 2025)
The Pirates have leaned on the right arm of alumnus pitcher Ben Lindsey to deliver in big games.
Faced with the task of limiting the damage to a dangerous Sachse batting lineup, Lindsey kept a Mustang team that had averaged 8.2 runs per game during District 9-6A play in check to the tune of one hit with seven strikeouts over six shutout innings in a 2-0 road win for the Pirates.
The only two runs of the game were scored in the top of the second inning.
Wylie showed great plate discipline against Baylor University commit Alex Moreno. The Pirates capitalized on a pair of walks and later scored the game’s first run on a rare fielding error by the Mustangs.
Two batters later, Wylie alumnus Drew Jeong drove in a run with an RBI single for a 2-0 Pirates lead.
Multi-sport athlete of the year: Ronelyse Hartfield, basketball/soccer/track and field
There has been several days when she has to play two sports, sometimes with less than an hour between games.
One such occurrence came Jan. 14.
Hartfield scored 13 points for the Lady Pirates’ basketball team in a dominant 53-8 win over South Garland.
About an hour later, she was competing for the Wylie girls’ soccer team. She entered the game at the 20-minute mark. Two minutes later, she scored a goal off a corner kick that was taken by rising senior midfielder Betty Daniel.
With 15 minutes left in the second half, Hartfield capped off a one-goal, one-assist performance by setting up senior Marissa Fitzsimmons in front of the net on a goal – all part of a dominant 8-0 win for Wylie against North Garland.
Hartfield was named to the all-9-6A second team in both girls’ basketball and girls’ soccer.
On the track, Hartfield was a regional qualifier in the 4×100 and 4×200 relays.
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